Auctions of counterfeit couture on eBay have gotten the online tat bazaar into hot water with French fashion types, who are demanding it cough up €37m in a civil complaint.

According to The Financial Times, ubiquitously-faked pricey bag maker Louis Vuitton is demanding €20m from eBay. Christian Dior Couture, part of the same French luxury goods group - LVMH - reckons eBay owes it €17m.

eBay has already been called out by jewellers Tiffany for letting users flog knock-offs of its gear.

Responding to the latest legal challenge, eBay's French arm said: "All sales of counterfeit products on ebay are totally illegal." It said trademark owners are able to notify it if they believe their IP is being infringed on the site.

LVMH is pushing for improvements to eBay's monitoring procedures. Through French union Unifab it threatened eBay with a lawsuit in the summer. ®

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• British Museum to police eBay (3 October 2006)
• French union demands eBay blocks fakes pre-emptively (22 August 2006)
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• Tiffany sues eBay over fakes (22 June 2004)